SoCal residents part of earthquake drill

People throughout Ventura County will duck, cover and hold at 10 a.m. Thursday along with millions of other Southern California residents in what is being billed as the nation's biggest earthquake drill.

The Great Southern California Shake Out is meant to make people think about what they would do in case of a devastating earthquake, said Cynthia Elliott, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services.

Local residents are invited to participate in the drill, which simulates an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.

The drill will kick-start a weeklong earthquake preparedness exercise involving public agencies around the state.

Participating agencies, including many in Ventura County, will respond to an imaginary magnitude 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault.

Sheriff Bob Brooks will order the county's Emergency Operation Center to be activated during the exercise.

The exercise will provide the center's staff a much-needed chance to practice operating the center during an emergency.

According to the United States Geological Survey, such an earthquake is plausible. A model created by a team led by USGS indicates such an earthquake could cause 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damage. Get more details at http://www.shakeout.org.